| What
is Animal Assisted Therapy? |
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| What
is Animal Assisted Therapy? |
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There are many kinds of work done with animals often grouped together under the name "Pet Therapy".
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Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) |
“Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) provides opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life. AAA is delivered in a variety of environments by specially trained professionals, para-professionals, and/or volunteers, in association with animals that meet specific criteria.” [1] |
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Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) |
Elizabeth Teal of Giving Paws states:“
“Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is an umbrella term for any goal-directed
intervention in which an animal that meets specific criteria is an integral
part of the treatment process.” |
| Animal Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) | AACR teams are used to help people normalize the experience of a crisis, ground them when events around them seem out of control or act a s a bridge to communication. AACR can be used in instances of natural disaster, domestic violence and other acts of violence. |
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Animal Assisted Educational Support (AAES) |
This is a broad category including such diverse programs as Human Education, Bite Prevention and any other type of education program where the teacher is guiding the educational component. This can include library reading programs. |
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Therapeutic Environment Animals |
These animals are used to create a therapeutic environment. Animals, often owned by a mental health professional, are present in the environment but are usually not coupled with a handler who is specifically working the animal; and the animals themselves may or may not have had special training. (ie: a mental health professional who has an cat or dog present in a private office, a fish tank in a hospital waiting room, a ranch where youth work with stock or a resident bird in a nursing home) |
[1] Delta Society. 1992 Handbook for animal assisted Activities and Animal Assisted Therapy. Renton WA: Delta Society
[2] Delta Society. 1992 Handbook for animal assisted Activities and Animal Assisted Therapy. Renton WA: Delta Society
Animal Assisted Therapy can be used to normalize the institutional experience. Animal Assisted Therapy is also used in rehabilitative, physical, occupational and speech therapies.
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Sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to. Photo Credits: Ty Sanders |
Repetitive arm range of motion exercises can be boring - throwing a ball for a dog is fun but they both serve a rehabilitative purpose. A child, after surgery, must get up and walk around - but it hurts and, if you're seven, you don't want to walk if it hurts. Taking a dog for a walk, on the other hand, may be just what the doctor ordered. Toddlers are often frightened of any procedure being done to them - but listening to the dog's heart helps them understand it doesn't hurt when the nurse listens to yours. Sometimes, when you're not ready to talk to anyone you are willing to confide in a dog. And sometimes it's nice to just hold something warm and alive.
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To a doctor, that's an ambulating patient, we call it taking a friend for a walk, the children call it fun! |
While common in chronic care facilities like rehabilitation centers and nursing homes AAT is now more and more common in hospitals. As hospital programs become more common the level of animal/handler training must rise and careful consideration of zoonotic infection must be made. Some species of animals are unsuited to acute care facilities and certainly not all units of acute care facilities should adopt Animal Assisted Therapy programs. Health tests for both animals and handlers must be done more frequently when visiting acute care facilities. It is also important that patients and staff be given the opportunity to not participate in Animal Assisted Therapy.
| Medical equipment and procedures can be frightening but practicing on a friend can help children master their fears. |
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The most common animal used is the dog. Dogs
must have a stable temperament, be extremely well socialized and in good health before
they can begin training. Few organizations will certify a dog under one year of age.
National organizations that certify dogs and their handlers for Animal Assisted
Activities include Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs
, The Delta Society
, Therapy Dogs Inc., and TheraPet.
Many Animal Assisted Therapy programs also offer educational information to schools on the
benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy as well as general animal education.
Dogs In Service Animal Assisted Therapy currently serves St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in
Paterson, NJ, Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ and will be
starting a pilot program at the Veteran's Administration in Lyons, NJ. Take a look at our teams and award winning dogs. Other programs include
Vancouver Animal Assisted Therapy
in New York City.
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Dogs In Service was honored to be asked by the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services to work with the relief workers, victim's families and rescue workers after the events of September 11, 2001. Dogs In Service helped co-ordinate over 140 Animal Assisted Activity and Animal Assisted Therapy teams from four different organizations. The teams served the Family Assistance Center at Liberty State Park from September 2001 to January 2002. |
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Special thanks to our
friends at
 The
Barker Lounge for their incredible generosity in fundraising for us.
Their hard work will help us with all of our programs. |
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Dogs
in Service 1271 Route 22 East - Suite 23, Lebanon, NJ 08833 908-996-9911 
FAX 908-236-8883 barking@eclipse.netWe'd love to hear
from you, whether you need more information,
want to share your experiences with dogs in service, or
just want to ask a question. |
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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead |
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